Jubilee finalises plans to merge parties for 2017

Jubilee Alliance Party leaders from left: Kericho Senator Charles Keter, Kabete MP Ferdinand Waititu, Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau and Fafi MP Bare Shill after a party meeting at the headquarters in Nairobi. [Photo: Jenipher Wachie/Standard]

After heated debate, repeated accusations, outbursts of anger, threats of a walk-out and apparent distrust, the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) has announced that it is ready to enter the elections fray.

The party has set up a steering committee to get it ready for the elections in 2017.

Tuesday's announcement will put into place President Uhuru Kenyatta's original concept. In February, during a Jubilee Coalition Parliamentary Group meeting in Naivasha, he surprised the nation and his followers when he announced that JAP will be his party for the next elections.

The move threatened to split the coalition as MPs and party bosses fought to retain their ground when they realised JAP's birth might mean the end of their political power base.

Tuesday, leaders of parties affiliated to Jubilee met at JAP headquarters in Nairobi to work out the road map to fold up the parties namely TNA, URP, GNU, RPK, UDF and New Ford-Kenya. UDF/ANC and Kanu have refused to join the party. Former ODM chairman Henry Kosgey is reportedly being tipped to be the chairman but he is understood to have sought time to make his decision.

The meeting agreed on a 30-member steering committee to spearhead the planned dissolution and also formed five sub-committees for different tasks.

There was a concern among the members after claims that parties affiliated to the Jubilee Coalition who did not have any elected members should not be admitted since they had "nothing to offer to the coalition".

"We may admit them, but after that they will start demanding for positions yet they have not brought anything to the table. We will have to consider whether to accept them or not," said a source who sought anonymity.

The meeting resolved to form committees namely: Political Affairs to be chaired by Kericho Senator Charles Keter, Legal Affairs to be steered by TNA Secretary General Onyango Oloo and Communications to be headed by Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua.

URP Chairman Bare Shill and Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka will co-chair the Research and Strategy Committee while Embu Senator Leny Kivuti will head the Finance and Administration committee alongside other five members for each team.

The Standard established that a majority of members from the different parties asked for time to retreat to their National Executive Councils to ratify the resolution to dissolve their parties.

Sources confirmed to The Standard the two JAP National Steering Committee co-chairpersons Senator Kiraitu Murungi and Noah Wekesa were expected to schedule an appointment with Uhuru and his deputy William Ruto to brief them on progress.

The selected membership includes Senate Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki (Tharaka Nithi), his National Assembly counterpart Aden Duale (Garissa Township) and Senator Charles Keter (Kericho).

Others are MPs Naomi Shaban (Taveta), Jamleck Kamau(Kigumo), Alice Ng'ang'a (Thika Town), Joyce Emanikor (Turkana) and Mary Emase (Teso South) among others.